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For those unfamiliar with Kate Daniels and the post shift world of Atlanta, you sure are missing out on an excellent Urban Fantasy series. Magic Bleeds continues the fast paced emotional thrill ride begun in Magic Bites tying up some of the major plot lines but leaving the stage open and on the brink of serious world changing events. Although you can read this novel by itself I highly recommend you read the previous 3 installments to get the most enjoyment out of this fantastic novel by Ilona Andrews

For me, a lack of development can be excused in shorter pieces where getting the readers skin crawling is more important, but from “The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath” onward the stories go on and on, feeling more like an encyclopedia; fact after fact. This attention to detail could be good for creating a new world for a novel, but the longer stories fall short. I did enjoy the earlier stories, but on the whole, I need much more character in the longer pieces to justify their length, or I would have liked to see them hacked down to a more manageable length.

I don’t know what is worse when waiting for the next book in the series to arrive. Is it the wait for the book itself, or is it the knowledge that no longer how long you take to read the book you are going to have to wait another year for the next installment. In the case of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher I have found that each installment is a story into itself and although I await eagerly for the next tale I don’t find myself going crazy during the wait. Well lets just say that Changes not only makes drastic alterations to the story’s main plots but also leaves me wondering What?! How?? What happens now!!

It is hard to know what to say about the amber novels by Roger Zelazny. To put things simply if you have not yet read these novels get them this instance and don’t stop reading until you have finished them all, after wards simply relax and dwell on Amber, Corwin, and the Shadows of Possibilities that lay beyond and between the pattern and chaos. A classic fantasy tale that can be enjoyed simply for its sword fights and magic, or for its deeper more compelling tale of self-discovery.

Have you ever read a story and know that it would have been better if the author had only paved their own path instead of following the normal archetypes and plot lines. Goosegirl is that story you were wishing for, Margaret Ronald takes the classic fairy tale of the same name and manages to create a unique and riveting tale of magic and personal choices sure to delight readers of all ages.